Google Cloud Print revealed

One of the gaping holes in in Google's Chrome OS project was the question mark over how people were supposed to use peripherals when the OS didn't contain the reams of drivers normally required to make people's gadgets work.

Well, that hole has now been at least partially plugged by a solution called Google Cloud Print, which aims to: "build a printing experience that enables any app (web, desktop, or mobile) on any device to print to any printer anywhere in the world". Rather audacious, don't you think? Basically, you tell Cloud Print what you want to print, and Cloud Print does the work - using a database of every single printer driver in the world ever.

In the future Google hopes that printers will come with Cloud Print support baked in straight out of the factory, but until then there'll be a proxy server that comes installed with Chrome that you stick on the computer than the printer is connected to. The company is also targeting router manufacturers to install this proxy too, so that the computer doesn't have to be left on.

One thing that's interesting is that this won't just solve the Chrome OS printing issue. It'll also allow a whole range of other devices - including phones, tablet PCs and netbooks - to print. It's a little while off yet, but when it's released it could help to stop people doing this.